A pre-fight press conference for RAF Georgia erupted on Friday after Umar Nurmagomedov was brought up and Merab Dvalishvili responded in blunt fashion.
Dvalishvili, the former UFC bantamweight champion, made clear he was not interested in running the fight back. His response — “No, never. F**k that guy. Whoever RAF chooses, I'll fight. Except this spoiled guy.” — quickly escalated the room and led to a heated altercation that required security and police intervention.
The moment was the latest public flashpoint in a rivalry that has already been shaped by their January 2025 meeting at UFC 311. In that bout, Dvalishvili defeated Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision, with the judges scoring it 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 to allow Dvalishvili to retain the UFC bantamweight title.
Nurmagomedov’s camp has said a broken hand affected his performance in that fight, which has helped fuel the rematch discussion. Dvalishvili, though, has repeatedly dismissed the idea of facing him again, and Friday’s exchange made that position even more obvious.
Nurmagomedov reacts on X
Shortly after clips of the confrontation surfaced online, Umar Nurmagomedov addressed the incident on X. He wrote: “On the Caucasus, a man is defined by honor, dignity, and hospitality. My friend only asked why you were talking behind someone's back. I don't need to insult you to feel like a man. Who you really are is shown when there's no crowd and no one to step in.”
It was not clear from the exchange that Nurmagomedov was present when the altercation happened. What is clear is that the rivalry between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov has now spilled beyond the cage and into a promotional setting, turning a pre-event press conference into a public scene that overshadowed RAF Georgia’s buildup.
For RAF, the incident created an immediate security issue. For Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov, it added another tense chapter to a matchup that already has unfinished business attached to it.
